The Desperate Game: (InterMix) by Jayne Castle Read Free Book Online Page A

likely to discover what it was.
    After that her list of problems went downhill rapidly. There was the issue of how to handle Carla, keeping the Camelot Services office staffed while the boss was working at StarrTech, and, last but not least, dealing with Zac Justis.
    She had been startled when he’d informed her that he was going to pose as her “significant relationship” during the course of her investigation.
    “What’s that mean?” she’d demanded warily.
    “Guess.”
    “Oh, hell,” Guinevere remembered saying. That had been last night, when he’d briefed her on the assignment. Today she had to admit the cover did make it easy to meet with him whenever it was required.
    What she didn’t like was the uneasy feeling it gave her to think of Zac Justis in terms of a lover even when the entire scene was a sham. There was something infinitely disturbing about the thought of kissing a frog.
    In certain historical instances women had been shocked to learn there was no prince beneath the froggy exterior. Guinevere didn’t like surprises.

Chapter Three
    The small tavern just off First Avenue had been designed to appeal to the crowd that worked in the neighboring government offices and financial institutions. It styled itself a pub, offered an interesting selection of locally brewed ales as well as the imported kind, and featured a great deal of furniture that appeared to have been rescued from a 1930s yard sale. It was the younger, lower-level, but still upwardly mobile types who came in here after work. The older, more established executives who drank martinis instead of imported beer and wine and who would always view women in business as secretaries regardless of their incomes or clout didn’t hang out here. They headed for the stylish ambience of one of the hotel bars a few blocks away. The pub was for people like Guinevere and Larry Hixon.
    Guinevere hadn’t started out to spend the after-work tavern hour commiserating with Larry. She had intended to spend the time trying to talk sense into her sister, whom she had arranged to meet in the pub at five. Unfortunately, as Guinevere walked in the front door and stood for a few seconds searching out a free seat, Larry Hixon’s morose face was the first thing she saw. He was sitting by himself, sprawled in an overstuffed couch that should rightfully have been used to seat three people instead of one in such a crowd. Apparently Larry’s brooding expression had been sufficient to keep would-be couch sharers’ circling instead of landing. His eyes met Guinevere’s, and he motioned for her to join him.
    Stifling an inward sigh, Guinevere summoned up a reasonably cheerful smile and headed across the room. Perhaps she should be grateful, she told herself. After all, there wasn’t another free seat in the place.
    “Hi, Larry. I didn’t know you were planning on dropping in here. We could have walked down from StarrTech together.” Guinevere caught the harried waitress’s eye and smiled. The waitress smiled back and mouthed “The usual?” Guinevere nodded.
    “I felt like having a few beers,” Larry informed her in a morbid-sounding tone.
    “I see. No word from Cal, hmmm?” Guinevere knew very well there had been no word from Cal Bender. Larry had been moping about the fact since she had arrived at StarrTech days ago. Tonight was Tuesday. For the three workdays she had been at the company no one had heard from Cal.
    “Maybe he just got pissed off and split,” Larry muttered. He drained half the beer in his glass. “Couldn’t blame him. The Elf has really been on his ass lately.”
    “You’re probably right. Stop worrying about it, Larry. Cal will be back when he’s ready. In the meantime, you’re only going to make Elfstrom more irritated than ever if you don’t at least try to look efficient at work.”
    “I don’t give a damn what the Elf thinks. Let him bring someone else in to do my job if he doesn’t like the way I’m handling it. I’d like to